Approved by the 04.10.06 Decision of the Board of the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society

Approved by the 04.10.06 decision of the board of the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society

Tallinn University

School of Governance, Law and Society

Political Science and Governance / International Relations and Future Studies

GUIDE TO WRITING AND THESIS DEFENCE

Tallinn

2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 2

II. TYPES OF THESES 3

III. STRUCTURAL PROVISIONS 4

IV. GENERAL THESIS REQUIREMENTS 6

V. PRINCIPLES OF SUPERVISION 7

VI. FINAL PROVISIONS 9

REFERENCING AND CITATION 10

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. Objectives and legal basis The Tallinn University’s School of Governance, Law and Society (hereinafter the School) Political Science and Governance and International Relations and Future Studies thesis guide (hereafter the guide) sets the basis for grading theses in the abovementioned disciplines. Other assignments (essays, research papers) should follow different guidelines and requirements (such as those specified by the School of Governance, Law and Society Student Assignment Guide).

For curricula implemented at the Colleges or jointly with other universities, the exceptions will be stipulated as needed in agreement between the institute, specialization or partnering university.

This guide is to be used as a reference when grading and is not fully binding for the grading panel. The final grade of any thesis will be decided by the panel's expert analysis. It will also take into account all binding legal acts.

1.2. The definition of a thesis, the basis for writing and grading theses. A thesis is a written dissertation written independently by a student wishing to graduate and complete their curriculum.

The thesis must be written independently and sources must be cited. Failure to cite a source is considered plagiarism and further action will be taken according to the Tallinn University Statutes and its appendices.

When writing the thesis, a student should adhere to this guide and the advice given to them by their thesis supervisor.

When grading the thesis, the panel should first and foremost take into consideration the content requirements outlined in this guide as well as the grading guidelines found in the appendix.

II. TYPES OF THESES 2.1. Types of theses The types of theses are the following:

1) Bachelor’s thesis;

2) Master’s thesis.

The Bachelor’s thesis is an independently written dissertation written by a student wishing to complete their Bachelor’s studies. It must demonstrate the competency of the student by showing skill in systematically approaching an issue from the point of view of policy design and governance.

The Master’s thesis is an independently written dissertation written by a student wishing to complete their Master’s studies. It must demonstrate that the student has specific knowledge of their field by showing the research capability equal to that of a specialist.

The difference in credits awarded is a reflection of the size of the task and not a difference in the requirements related to its content.

2.2 Types of Theses Theses are empirical or theoretical.

This guide describes the most common type of thesis. It is also possible to submit a thesis that is in the form of a scientific article, a project or a collaborative effort. The option of making an exception must be discussed with the thesis supervisor and curriculum supervisor prior to beginning work on the thesis. Should the thesis take the form of an article, the article must fall in the category of 1.1, 1.2, or 3,1 as outlined by the Estonian Research Portal. The article must be already published or have received an official confirmation from the publisher confirming that it will be published.

An empirical thesis begins with a theoretical starting point that is connected to an empirical issue or question. The thesis will present an original analysis, and its findings, which are based on the empirical material.

A theoretical thesis analyses one or more theoretical starting points, is based on the appropriate literature and analyses the content, effects and influences of a theory. A theoretical thesis must be clear in defining its main issue and the analysis must result in new findings.

III STRUCTURAL PROVISIONS 3.1. Structure of the thesis The thesis is divided into two main parts: the content part and the formal part.

The content part is made up of the introduction, the chapters related to the content of the analysis and the summary.

The formal part is made up of the title page, the reverse of the title page, the abstract (written in either the same or a different language as the rest of the thesis), the references page and the non-compulsory appendices.

3.2. The volume of the thesis The volume of a Bachelor’s thesis (12 credits) content part (not including the title page, the table of contents, the references page or the appendices) is roughly 35-40 pages (1 page is 1800 characters without spaces).

The volume of a Master’s thesis (24 credits) content part is roughly 60-70 pages (1 page is 1800 characters without spaces).

The volume of the formal part (the title page, the table of contents, the abstract, the references page and the appendices) is not a factor in grading.

The volume of the thesis may differ from the requirements if it is permitted by the thesis supervisor. If the supervisor of the thesis is not a member of the school’s faculty, permission must be sought from both the supervisor of the thesis and the supervisor of the curriculum.

3.3. General formal requirements The language of the thesis is determined by the curriculum. Permission to use other languages must be sought from the supervisor of the thesis, the supervisor of the curriculum and the head of the department. The permission must be sought from the supervisor of the curriculum by way of a written application. The supervisor of the curriculum will relay the request to the head of studies for approval.

The formal part, including references, must adhere to guidelines outlined in Appendix 1. Additionally author’s declaration and non-exclusive licence should be submitted (cf. Appendix 8).

The author of the thesis is free to act according to their own best judgment when it comes to the other aspects of the thesis. The formal part and citations, however, must be clear and consistent throughout the thesis.

The thesis must follow the grammar and spelling rules of the language in which the thesis is written and make use of specialized terminology, if it exists. Additions to specialized terminology must be confirmed with the thesis supervisor. When using a key term that does not exist in the language in

which the thesis is written, the term must be included in its original language in parentheses and in italics upon its first usage in the thesis.

The sources used in the thesis must be relevant to the issue. The references page can only include the sources that were cited in the thesis. All sources cited must be included.

A Bachelor’s thesis should presumably make use of about 20 sources. The minimum number of sources is five. Should fewer sources be used, the thesis will receive a failing grade of F.

A Master’s thesis should presumably make use of about 40 sources. The minimum number of sources is ten. Should fewer sources be used, the thesis will receive a failing grade of F.

3.4 Thesis procedures and communication Procedures relating to the thesis and its defence are outlined in annex 4.

If not stated otherwise, all communication and information exchange related to the thesis will be handled in the school’s e-learning environment Moodle (http://moodle.e-ope.ee). If not stated otherwise, files must be uploaded using the formats .doc and .pdf, if necessary. Exceptions relating to the size of the materials must be confirmed and granted by the study counsellor.

IV. GENERAL THESIS REQUIREMENTS 4.1. Problem statement and structure The thesis must have a clear problem statement, along with questions and sub-questions, if necessary, that are designed to tackle the issue. The problem will be related to the field of governance, law and society and its scope must not exceed the volume determined by the type of thesis. The problems and the questions must be interconnected and form a cohesive whole. The problem, the questions and the significance of the issue must be clearly stated.

The thesis must include all the required structural elements: an introduction, a theoretical basis, an empirical part (if applicable), findings and a conclusion. The different elements must be clearly distinguishable from one another and they must be balanced in terms of length and content. The recommended content to be included in the introduction and the conclusion is outlined in appendix 1.

4.2 The theoretical basis The thesis must include a theoretical basis that will serve as the starting point in defining and solving the problem that is under investigation. This theoretical basis can be a single theory, a synthesis of multiple theories or any other type of theoretical model. The theoretical basis must be presented in a clear manner, making use of all relevant authorities on the subject. The theoretical basis must be connected to the problem at hand and the empirical part of the thesis (if applicable). The approaches outlined in the theoretical part should be used in the analysis. The exact structure and volume of the theoretical part depends on the nature of the thesis and the research strategies employed. The goals and strategies used in the thesis must be previously discussed with the supervisor of the thesis. 6

4.3 Empirical part (where applicable)

An empirical thesis includes an empirical part as well, which tackles a real-world phenomenon, an event, an ongoing situation, etc. The empirical part must be based on qualitative or quantitative data and must be clear and whole in its presentation. The data may be gathered by the author (by way of textual analysis, interviews, etc.). It may also come from pre-existing data sources, bearing in mind that the analysis must be completely original, meaning that a similar analysis has not been conducted before using that specific set of data. The set of data that is used and the method in which it is gathered must be suitable for solving the issue chosen by the author. The method, the reason for it being chosen and the chosen materials must be explained in the thesis. All data must be relevant to the thesis. That means that all the included data must also be employed in the analysis.

4.4 Findings The analytical part serves two purposes: to solve the research problem within the scope of the thesis and to report findings. By the end of thesis, the research problem must be solved and the research questions answered. All solutions, findings and answers must be based on the theoretical basis and the empirical data (if applicable). The conclusions must be presented in a logical and complete manner, and the author’s contribution to reaching the conclusion must be discernable. The results must be discussed and be innovative to a certain extent.

4.5 General formal requirements The thesis must be in accordance with formal guidelines, all sources must be cited, and the author’s own ideas must be clearly distinguishable. All citations must follow the same style, which has to be in accordance with the guidelines outlined in appendix 1, and be consistent throughout the thesis.

The vocabulary and style used throughout the thesis must be befitting that of an academic paper and be in accordance with academic practices.

Should the thesis include appendices, the appendices are to be cited in the main content part and their addition has to be relevant.

4.6 Grading The grading of the thesis must be done in accordance with the thesis grading criteria. The grading criteria for the Bachelor’s thesis are outlined in Appendix 2, the grading criteria for the Master’s thesis are outlined in Appendix 3.

V PRINCIPLES OF SUPERVISION 5.1 Confirming a supervisor

The student will have a supervisor who is there to assist the student in writing their thesis. The amount of help a student may elicit is set by the supervisory guidelines.

The process of confirming a supervisor is further explained in Appendix 4.

5.2 Student-Supervisor cooperation

The rights and obligations of the student:

1. The student is responsible for the validity of the data used and for confirming the sources of the opinions expressed in the thesis; 2. The student must consult their supervisor when choosing the topic and overall structure of the thesis and must have their approval before proceeding with their research; 3. A Bachelor’s student has the right to 30 credit hours worth of consultation, Master’s students have the right to 50 credit hours worth of consultation. This time includes the time it takes the supervisor to read the student’s thesis; 4. The student shall turn to their supervisor for advice and guidance upon encountering issues or questions when writing their thesis; 5. The student is obligated to inform their supervisor of any potential upcoming difficulties encountered in researching the topic and of any potential changes to the problem statement and the wording of the topic; 6. In case of insurmountable problems in communication or misunderstandings between the student and their supervisor, the student has the right to turn to the head of department for a solution; 7. The student must adhere to the thesis guidelines, meet deadlines and organise their cooperation with their supervisor accordingly; 8. The final thesis must be submitted to the supervisor no later than ten days before the officially announced thesis submission deadline, unless the student has reached a different agreement with their supervisor.

The rights and obligations of the supervisor:

1. The supervisor will assist the student, in accordance with the schedule they and the student have set, in defining the initial hypothesis and research questions, in choosing the correct methodology, in recommending appropriate literature, in adhering to the content and form requirements and in giving feedback on the general direction of the thesis; 2. The supervisor will point out mistakes, shortcomings and weak points in argumentation and structure. They will assess the research methodology and terminology as well the style and language used throughout the thesis; 3. The supervisor is obligated to inform the student of any potential upcoming difficulties and changes to the structure and schedule of their cooperation; 4. The supervisor has the right to terminate their cooperation with the student should the student consistently miss deadlines, violate research ethics or consistently ignore the supervisor’s advice. The student and the head of department must be notified in writing should the supervisor choose to terminate the cooperation; 5. The supervisor is obligated to respond to the student’s queries within five working days, unless having previously informed the student otherwise; 6. If the supervisor grants an exception to the student with regard to the volume requirements of the thesis, they are obligated to state the reason for the exception.

VI. FINAL PROVISIONS

6.1. Appendices Appendices to the guide:

1. Format and citation for the thesis; 2. Bachelor’s thesis grading criteria; 3. Master’s thesis grading criteria; 4. Procedures regarding the thesis and its defence; 5. Guidelines for reviewing a thesis; 6. Guidelines for supervising a thesis;

6.2 Amendments and revisions These guidelines may be revised and amended by a decision from the board of the School of Governance, Law and Society. Suggestions for amendments may be made by the head of department, curriculum supervisors and the institute's study board.

Issues that are not discussed in these guidelines are to be solved by the director or the head of studies, who will consult the curriculum supervisor.

6.3 Entering into force and transitional provisions These guidelines enter into force upon being confirmed by the board.

Upon enter into force, previous similar guidelines are rendered void.

Valid theses submitted before the new guidelines enter into force may be defended according to the new guidelines or the old guidelines. The choice is up to the student.

For English language curricula, the guidelines enter into force one month after the publication of the English translation. Requirements pertaining to the title page enter into force with the Estonian version of the guidelines. Should there be any discrepancies between the Estonian and English versions, decisions will be made based on the Estonian version.

ANNEX 1

FORMAT AND CITATIONS

I. STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS

1.1. Different parts of the thesis The thesis is usually made up of the following parts:

1) Title page

2) The reverse side of the title page

3) An abstract in Estonian (not necessary if the curriculum language is English);

4) An abstract in English,

5) Table of contents;

6) Abbreviations (if applicable);

7) Introduction;

8) Main section separated into main parts: theoretical basis, research methodology, empirical analysis.

9) Findings and conclusion;

10) References page;

11) Annexes (if applicable).

1.2. Content of the various parts: The general content of the potential parts of a thesis is the following:

● The title page (see paragraph 2.4); ● The reverse side of the title page (see paragraph 2.4); ● The abstracts ● The table of contents - All enumerated headings from the main section of the thesis must be present in the table of contents. The table of contents also includes an introduction, findings and a conclusion, a references page, a list of abbreviations and other potential separate parts of the thesis. These parts are not enumerated in the table of contents; ● The list of abbreviations (if applicable) – a list of abbreviations used throughout the thesis along with their definitions;

● The introduction – The author’s reasons for the choice of topic, an explanation of its novelty and relevance; defining the research problem, formulating research questions (to be divided into main questions and sub-questions, if applicable), setting the scope of the research, introducing the data and the research methods. The introduction should end with a brief look at the overall structure of the thesis. The goal of the introduction is to set the scope of the research, explain the choice of topic, give an overview of how much research has been done on the topic already, explain the methodological approach, pose research questions and introduce them, and also explain if necessary, the structure of the thesis. In case of larger overall volumes, the introduction to the methodology may reside in the main section as well. The introduction must not contain analytical findings (including hypotheses) or conclusions. The introduction should account for not more than one tenth of the entire volume of the thesis. ● The theoretical part – the theoretical part should provide the reader with an overview of previously established theories and/or most important research performed on the thesis topic. The theoretical part should be designed to help ground the topic in a larger theoretical framework. The theoretical part should introduce and explain the core concepts and ideas used throughout the thesis. The theoretical part should only include material that is directly relevant to the research problem and the research questions. The theoretical part can serve as a foundation for hypotheses (mostly for quantitative research employing a deductive approach). The hypotheses should be directly based on the theory and/or the most important studies previously performed in the given field. The hypotheses may be present in a separate subsection at the end of the theoretical part. It must be clearly demonstrated how the hypotheses were developed from previous theory/studies. ● The research methodology – The author should explain the reasoning behind their methodological choices and describe the methodological procedures. Depending on the type of thesis, the author might also introduce their data sample or their choice of variables. These parts can also be divided into their own subsections: ○ The data collection method – The author briefly introduces the data collection process, states why they chose the method that they did. This subsection might also include an introduction to the specific data analysis techniques employed (This is usually true in cases of quantitative research theses); ○ The data set (for the content analysis, textual analysis, document analysis, qualitative interviews, questionnaire based quantitative analysis, etc.) – this subsection should expand on the sample size, the sample type or the data collection procedure (the criteria for choosing participants for the qualitative analysis, references to the context/setting the research was conducted in). This subsection should also expand on the time frame in which the empirical study was carried out. If necessary, the author should also explain their reasoning behind their chosen sample size or how the sample was selected. The author might also explain certain characteristics (e.g. socio-demographic) of the sample group, as well as the scope of the conclusions reached using that particular set of data. ○ Variables (quantitative analysis) – The author introduces the core dependent and independent variables used throughout the thesis and shows how they have been operationalised. Quantitative theses should also include an introduction to the methods and techniques used in data analysis. The choice must be supported with argumentation. If the author has chosen to use certain software for data analysis (such as SPSS, Excel, NUDIST, etc.), they should provide the full name and version number of that software (e.g. SPSS 12.0).

● Empirical analysis – The empirical analysis should make up the bulk of the content part and account for about two thirds of the total thesis length. The empirical analysis should focus on the previously formulated research questions and not dwell on issues outside the scope of the thesis.

● Conclusion and findings - This section is used to present the most important findings of the thesis in a summarised fashion and to try to answer the research questions posed in the introduction. The relevancy of the findings should be scrutinised by setting them into a larger social and/or theoretical context. The author should be able to point out the thesis’ methodological and analytical limitations in understanding the research problem and be self-critical where necessary. The author’s findings should clearly reflect the innovative contribution that the author’s research has made to the topic. The end of the conclusion should outline research opportunities and perspectives that further research on the matter should assume. The conclusion should not introduce any new information or cite new sources that weren’t used in the preceding analysis. ● References – The list of references should include every work cited in the thesis and only those works that were actually cited. The list should be ordered alphabetically based on the author’s last name. For large quantities of particular sources, they may be grouped and given a title (e.g. empirical sources, legal documents) to increase readability. It is recommended to adhere to the APA style guide and refer to Appendix 1 for specific examples of referencing and citation. Different styles of citation may also be used, but only with permission from the thesis supervisor and provided that these styles are used correctly and consistently. ● Appendices – This section is for sets of data that are necessary for checking the accuracy of the findings, but are too large to include in the main section of the thesis. They should be included in the appendix only if their content and volume allows it. The source or sources of the appendices must be clearly indicated. Large tables, graphs, extracts from sources (e.g. documents), detailed descriptions of the research methodology and other such data and supporting material that is required in order to confirm/illustrate the thesis positions should also be included in the appendices. Each appendix must be numbered and start on a new page. The total volume of the appendices should not exceed 20% of the total volume of the thesis. Additional notes: For a purely theoretical thesis, the theoretical, methodological and empirical analysis parts should be replaced with a general thematic analysis, in which the author discusses previous takes and theories on the thesis problem that will form the basis for the thesis. The author must develop their own analytical perspective or an approach where they compare/synthesise existing theories. The thematic analysis sections must follow a logical structure. The thesis must still include the other compulsory parts: the introduction, the conclusion and findings, a list of references, appendices.

II. FORMAT

2.1. General recommendations The different parts of the thesis (sections, conclusion, list of references, etc.) should begin on a new page. The headings must be clearly distinguishable from their surrounding text. To differentiate between the different levels of text, it is recommended to use a three level numbering system in front of the headings (e.g. 1. ; 1.1 ; 1.1.1 ;). For shorter subsections, the heading should be differentiated from the surrounding text using either bold or italic print. If the heading is on a separate line, it is not followed by a punctuation mark. If it is on the same line as the rest of the text, it is followed by a punctuation mark.

The style of the thesis should be clear, expressive, logical and compact. The author should not be overly wordy, should avoid unnecessary repetition and overly complicated sentence structure. The author should avoid bureaucratic jargon and unnecessary foreign words. The author should seek to 12

avoid journalese and slang. The language used throughout the thesis should be presentable and academic. It is recommended to use a neutral approach, for example, to substitute the first person pronoun “I” with “the author” (e.g. “The author assumes that ...”).

2.2. Tables and graphs Tables and graphs should be numbered consecutively (Arabic numbers are preferred) and should be inserted in the text after their first mention. Tables and graphs are given a heading (e.g. Table 1. Thesis topics) and a caption, making reference to the source (e.g. Source: Compiled by the author). If the author wishes to use existing tables or graphs, the source must be cited. The table or graph is referenced in the text using its number (e.g. “As we can see from Table 2”). Using a table or graph without citation in the text is not permitted. It is not considered good practice to thoroughly explain and describe the table or graph in text form. Instead, the author should focus on the conclusions that can be drawn and explain the logic behind the structure of the table or graph, if it is not self-evident. The author might also explain any terminology used in the table or graph if similar terminology has not been used in the thesis previously. If the table or graph continues on the next page, the bottom of the previous page and the top of the next page must include the note “Continued”.

Comments and explanations on the table or graph should be presented as footnotes, preferably using a different style than other footnotes (preferably letters: a, b, c, d… or asterisks. In order to avoid confusion between footnotes relating to tables or graphs and other footnotes, the use of standard numbering should be avoided).

Equations should be separated from the surrounding text and placed on a separate line, using spaces to increase readability.

2.3. Quoting When quoting, another author’s text is to be presented in verbatim and in quotes. Words not included in the quote should be replaced with ellipses inside brackets: [...]. It is not permitted to take parts of different sentences and present them as one quote. Shorter quotes (no longer than two sentences and/or two lines) should be presented with quotation marks. Longer quotes and qualitative interviews should be separated from the rest of the text, so that the quote is preceded and succeeded by an empty line. Longer quotes should also have a smaller font (e.g. 9 or 10, if the rest of the thesis uses a size 12 font).

2.4 Title page The title page must include these elements, in the following order:

1. The name of the university and the department; 2. Name of the programme; 3. First and last name of the author; 4. Title of the thesis; 5. Type of thesis (Bachelor’s or Master’s) and number of credits; 13

6. The title (MA, PhD, etc.) or profession (professor, lecturer, researcher, etc.) of the thesis supervisor, then their first and last name. 7. Date and location of completion.

On the reverse side of the title page the student states that they have written the thesis independently and have cited all other works used in the thesis. The statement uses the following text: “I have written this thesis independently. All opinions, works, data from literature or elsewhere that are not my own have been cited.” The statement is followed by the author’s signature, which is then followed by the author’s name, e-mail (preferably not a @tlu.ee address), mobile phone number, their Skype ID and their address.

The reverse of the title page also includes exceptions granted by the thesis supervisor on exceptions to the volume, innovative terminology, special formatting and/or permissions to use a language different to that used by the curriculum. In the case of multiple thesis supervisors, all signatures are required in order for the thesis to admitted to the defence process. All other exceptions only require the signature of at least one thesis supervisor. The thesis supervisor may also add their signature digitally.

III. REFERENCING AND CITATIONS

3.1. General recommendations All sources used in the thesis have to be cited. The use and quotation of other authors’ ideas, opinions, conclusions and data (including tables, graphs, figures, etc.) without citation is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is subject to sanctions and according to the Tallinn University Statute it is punishable by the exmatriculation of the student.

Citation is not necessary if:

 the material is the author’s own data, research results, ideas and conclusions;  the material constitutes self-evident truths or general knowledge.

We recommend using the APA (American Psychological Association) citation style and the citation and referencing examples below. Other citation styles are allowed if they are approved by the supervisor (for example, citation in footnotes); however, the styles have to be used correctly and consistently.

3.2. Citation in text ● Citations in text should be presented in parenthesis immediately following the sentence in which the cited source was used. When citing, use the author’s name and year of publication, separated by a comma (for example: Lauristin, 2007). Only use the author’s last name (except in case there are multiple authors with the same last name, for example, R.M. Smith and J. D. Smith). For institutions, use the official abbreviation; for laws, only include the name of the law in parentheses. ● When citing central opinions and conclusions from the used source, so that specific text cannot be quoted, there is no need to cite page numbers. Page number citation is, however, required:

● if a quote is used; ● for figures and tables borrowed from other sources; ● for concrete data, numbers or claims that can later be found and verified using the page number. ● If the figure or table is the author’s own creation or compiled using the author’s own collected data, the citation should read “author”, for example: (Source: author). If the figure or table is from another source, it definitely has to be cited, for example (Source: Lauristin, 2001, p. 45). If the figure or table is based on the work of another author but has been considerably altered (for example, if another measure is added), the citation should also contain that information (Source: Lauristin, 2001, p. 45, with the author’s additions). ● Quotes should be cited in the text using the same principles as other parts of text. ● If the same source is cited on one page and consecutively more than once, you can use the citation “ibid”, for example: (ibid., p. 105). ● Generally it isn’t considered good practice to refer to one source consecutively using long quotes and block quotation (long piece of text and citation, long text and citation, all from the same source). Fluent academic text contains citations referencing different sources and thematic transitions.

The following contains some examples of citation within text (these are not necessarily exact quotes and citations to real sources, but rather indicative examples):

The cited text has one author, whose conclusions are cited in the thesis: Addiction isn’t only the physical addiction to a narcotic, but also the lifestyle that comes along with narcotics (Allaste, 2009).

The cited text has several authors: Addiction isn’t only the physical addiction to a narcotic, but also the lifestyle that comes along with narcotics (Allaste & Lagerspetz, 2006).

Citing specific pages (use either “p.” or “pp.”): At the end of the nineties, there were circa 30 political parties registered in Estonia (Toomla, 2005, p. 219).

If the author’s name is referenced in the body of the text, it does not have to be repeated in a citation: For example, unlike the aforementioned studies, Rajasalu (2003) researched the connection between the dynamics of economic growth and the level of economic freedom.

If the text has three or more authors, cite all the authors the first time the source is cited, with “and” before the last name. Subsequent citation can use only the name of the first author, followed by the abbreviation “et. al.”: In European states, different types of labour market flexibilities and worker security combinations have been differentiated (Pochic, Miller & Smith, 2003)… In Europe, both open and closed labour market models are represented (Pochic et. al., 2003).

If there are several citations in one sentence, the cited sources should be separated by a semicolon: The path dependence thesis approach can be found in several welfare state analyses (Bonoli, 2000; Pierson, 1999).

If several of one author’s publications are cited from one year, they should be differentiated alphabetically using a, b, c… after the year: Network approaches in political science have significantly developed over the past decade, and reflexivity and flexibility are the new key words (Torfting, 2009a; Torfting, 2009b).

If the source has a long title (for example, documents, websites, legal acts), the citation should include a shorter version of the title followed by three periods (of course, the shortened title has to remain distinguishable from other potentially similar sources). When citing laws and institutions, abbreviations may also be used. The first time a source is cited, the full title should be included: The 2000 European study on labour conditions demonstrated that work stress is in second place after back pain in the list of work related health issues (European Occupational Health… 2001). In Estonia, every European Union citizen with the legal right to vote has the right to run for office in the council of their town or county of residence (Local Government Council Election Act). In Estonia, every European Union citizen with the legal right to vote has the right to run for office in the council of their town or county of residence (LGCEA).

When a sentence refers to a legal act, the citation should include the name of the act or the number of the provision, if needed. “Estonia is politically a unitary state wherein administrative division shall be provided by law” (Constitution, § 2). “Local authorities have the right to form associations and joint agencies with other local authorities on the bases of and pursuant to the procedure provided for in legislation.” (KOKS, § 12).

When citing web pages or other internet material in text, the citation should always only include their title or name. NB! The citation in the text should never include the address of the website. In forming policy for persons with disabilities, in addition to the Ministry of Social Affairs, civil society organisations that bring together persons with disabilities have played an important role (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2011).

If cited material is in more than two consecutive sentences, the citation should be inserted at the end of the last sentence, after the period (look carefully at the placement of the citation in the following example): In case of democracies, different aspects can be distinguished: procedural, substantive and legal/formal. This indicates that there are completely different approaches to democracy, which might not be compatible. (Tilly & Sanders, 1998) Looking at the democracy experience of Western Europe…

3.3. Referencing sources (list of references at the end of the thesis)

● The list of references should only include those materials that have been cited in the text of the thesis. If there are sources listed that haven’t been cited in text or if cited sources are missing from the list of references, it could be considered a grave breach of citation rules. ● The sources should be listed in full and alphabetically. In case of larger and more specific groups of source types, they can be grouped separately (for example, empirical sources, legal acts). Grouping should only be used if it is indeed necessary for a better overview of the list of references. 16

● A reference listing should generally include the following mandatory elements: author, publication date, title, place of publication (city, publishing house). ● Internet sources are listed using the same principles, with the website address included. In addition, the last date the site was viewed should be included. ● The titles of articles, books, collections and documents should follow the APA style and not be capitalized (except, of course, the first word and names). Only the names of newspapers, magazines and journals should have all parts of their name capitalised. ● The titles of books, collections, magazines, newspapers and documents should be italicized, in the APA style. The titles of articles and chapters should be formatted in regular font and these should not be italicized. ● Several publications of one author should be listed in order of publication, from the earliest to latest. ● If an author or organisation has several publications in one year, the year number should be supplemented alphabetically by a small letter a, b, c, etc. ● Reference listings should be in the same language as the thesis. If the thesis is written in English, use English abbreviations such as: “&”, “ed.”, “pp.”, etc. ● If the source is a foreign language one, the source (or at least the title) should be translated into the language used for the thesis and added after the original title in brackets. No translation is needed for sources in English and Estonian languages. Sources in all other languages should be accompanied by a translation. ● For final theses, it is assumed that students will use sources of academic quality such as: articles from academic journals, monographs, collections published by recognised publishing houses. Other accepted sources include research reports or databases published by academic or (internationally) recognised organisations. Some caution should be exercised when using unpublished conference presentations and popular science articles. Citing textbooks, dictionaries or encyclopaedias is also not considered academically sound, so these should be cited when the material cannot be obtained from more appropriate sources. The same applies to referencing the final theses of other students. Newspaper editorials are more appropriate for use as empirical or illustrative material – they should certainly not make up a weighty part of formulating theoretical standpoints. The same applies to weblogs (blogs). ● Sours that are prohibited for use in theses are: Wikipedia, non-academic websites and notes from lectures. Lecture materials can only be used if it has been ascertained that the referenced materials contain a lecturer’s original contribution in developing a theoretical perspective or original data that couldn’t be obtained from any other source.

The following is a series of referencing examples, formatted in the APA style.

Article from a(n academic) journal: Referenced on the principle: Author (year). Title. Name of magazine, volume, (nr), p.

Katz, R. S., & Mair, P. (1995). Changing models of party organization and party democracy. Party Politics, 1 (1), 5 - 23.

Klijn, E. (1999). Policy networks in Scandinavia. Administration and Society, 6 (18), 14-31. Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896.

Toots, A., ja Idnurm, T. (2009). Revolutsioon, mida ei toimunud ehk e-õppe arengu senised tulemid. Riigikogu Toimetised, 19, 159 - 170. 17

Note: for this entry the magazine doesn’t have an issue number and only has the volume number.

Loone, O. (2012). Demokraatia, demokraadid ja revolutsioon. Vikerkaar, 6, 66-69.

Article from a popular science magazine or regular magazine: Posner, M. I. (1993, October 29). Seeing the mind. Science, 262 , 673-674. The Economist (2003, June 15 – June 22). Poland’s EU referendum. The Economist, 58-59.

Newspaper article: Oone, K. (2004, 4. mai). Kogumispensioni edulugu. Eesti Päevaleht, lk. 4. Aaron, R. (2013, January 5). Euro still in crisis. The Times, p. 5.

Books and monographs: Referenced on the principle: Author (year). Title. Publishing place: Publisher.

Linz, J. J., & Stepan, A. (1996). Problems of democratic trasition and consolidation. London: The John Hopkins Press.

Lewis, P. G. (2000). Political parties in post-communist Eastern Europe. London; New York: Routledge.

Heidmets, M. (toim.). (2007). Eesti inimarengu aruanne 2006. Tallinn: Ühiskondliku Leppe Sihtasutus.

Toomla, R. (1999). Eesti erakonnad. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus.

Kalmus, V., Lauristin, M., ja Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt, P. (2004). Eesti elavik 21. sajandi algul: ülevaade uurimuse Mina. Maailm. Meedia tulemustest. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus

Article or chapter from a compendium: Referenced on the principle: Author (year). Title of article. Editor of compendium, Title of the compendium (pages the article was on). Publishign place: Publisher.

Massaro, D. (1992). Broadening the domain of the fuzzy logical model of perception. In H. L. Pick, Jr., P. van den Broek, & D. C. Knill (Eds.), Cognition: Conceptual and methodological issues (pp. 51-84). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sabatier, P. (1993). Advocacy coalition framework. In H. Jenkins (Ed.), Theories in policy analysis (pp. 233-245). Oxford: University Press.

Kalev, L., ja Roosmaa, L. (2012). Riikluse ülesehitamine. Kogumikus R. Vetik (toim.), Eesti poliitika ja valitsemine 1991 – 2011 (lk. 8-10). Tallinn: Tallinna Ülikooli Kirjastus.

Several publications by one author in the same year: Toots, A. (2004a). The role of values in citizenship education: A comparative study of Estonian and Russian-speaking schools in Estonia. International Journal of Educational Research, 39 (6), 565 - 576.

Toots, A. (2004b). Turud, tarbijad ja poliitika: Eesti sotsiaalkindlustusreformide analüüs tarbijakäitumise perspektiivist. Acta Politica, 1, 111-119.

Sources in the process of publication: Referenced similarly to the same type of sources that have already been published, but instead of the year write forthcoming. For an article, the page numbers cannot be added, if they are not known yet.

Zuckerman, M., Kieffer, S. C. (forthcoming). Race differences in face-ism: Does facial prominence imply dominance? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Unpublished conference presentations:

Ibenskas, R. (2010). Does party membership matter for party system institutionalisation? The case of Lithuania. Paper presented at the 60th Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Edinburgh, UK, June 15 - June 18.

Saarts, T. (2011). Eesti parteisüsteemi stabiliseerumine – seletades habrast tasakaalu. Eesti Sotsiaalteadlaste Aastakonverents, Tallinn, Eesti, 23.08 - 24.08.

Unpublished theses (of students): Kask, U. (2004). The reform of the Estonian public sector 1996-2003. (Unpublished Master’s thesis). University of Tartu, Department of Public Administration, Tartu.

Internet sources: The principles are the same as for material that has already been published: author, year or date, title of the material, address. Add the website address and date that the author last published the material.

Smith, R. (1999). University Colleges in Gotland. On the website http://www.gotland.com (10.05.2000).

Research reports, databases: Referenced on the principle: researcher (or author/authors), year conducted, name of study. For reports and databases available online, add the last date of publication).

Statistikaamet (1999). Eesti tööjõu-uuring. Freedom House (2007). Nations in transit. Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon (2011). Riigikogu valimised 2011: Valimistulemused. Võrgulehel http://www.vvk.ee/stat.html (23.05.2012).

Jakobson, M-L., Balcere, I., Loone, O., Nurk, A., Saarts, T., & Zakeviciute, R. (2012). Populism in the Baltic States. Tallinn: Avatud Eesti Fond. Retreived from http://www.oef.org.ee/fileadmin/media/valjaanded/uuringud/Populism_research_report.pdf (2012, November 10).

Faktum (2004). E-valimised ja võõrandumise vähendamine. Võrgulehel http://www.riigikogu.ee/?id=9263 (01.03.2005). 19

Eurostat (2005). Võrgulehel http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int (01.03.2005).

Interviews: Raud, R. (2007). Interview with Tallinn University Rector Rein Raud. Tallinn, 11. 12. 2007 The interviewed person should be mentioned by name only if they have given their agreement to it. Interviews can be listed among other sources mainly if the interview is an expert interview and if they aren’t excessively numerous. If there are many interviews or if the interview material is the main empirical material of the research study, the interviews should be listed separately. If the interviews are anonymous, they should be numbered and cited by number, if needed. In this case they won’t be listed among the references, but inside the text, in the chapter where the research material is presented.

Legal act in the Riigi Teataja (the State Gazette) List the full title of the legal act, the first official notice in Riigi Teataja and the redaction in force at the moment it was viewed, the address of the website, date viewed. If possible, use the electronic version of Riigi Teataja. If the legal act does not exist in electronic form (applies mostly to acts dating from 1918-95), the full official Riigi Teataja reference should be listed.

Universities Act (RT I 1995, 12, 119; 2009, 15, 93). On the website https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=13153093 (5.03.2009).

Legal act in the Official Journal of the European Union List the full title of the legal act, the official notice of the Official Journal of the European Union, the website address, date viewed. If possible, use the electronic version of the Official Journal of the European Union (available from 1998). Since Estonian is an official language of the European Union, entries can be listed either in Estonian or, depending on the language of the thesis, in another official European Union language.

Nice’i leping, millega muudetakse Euroopa Liidu lepingut, Euroopa ühenduste asutamislepinguid ja teatavaid nendega seotud akte. Euroopa Liidu Teataja C 80 10.03.2001. Võrgulehel http://eur- lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2000:080:SOM:EN:HTML (5.03.2009). or Treaty of Nice amending the Treaty on the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, signed in Nice, 26 February 2001. Official Journal of the European Union C 80 of 10 March 2001. On the website http://eur- lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2000:080:SOM:EN:HTML (5.03.2009).

Other legal acts or official documents from internet sources List the enacting body (in Estonian), the full title of the legal act (in its original language, add translation in parentheses, if necessary), the website addres, the date viewed. Instead of the enacting body, an official abbreviated name can also be listed.

Republic of Finland. Laki aikuiskoulutustuesta (Adult Education Act) 28.12.2000/1276. On the website http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2000/20001276 (5.03.2009).

Tallinn. Tallinn City Public Services Regulation. Regulation nr 45 of the Tallinn City Council. On the website http://tallinn.andmevara.ee/oa/page.Tavakasutaja?c=1.1.1.1&id=105031 (5.03.2009).

Council of Europe. Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality and Military Obligations in Cases of Multiple Nationality (Strasbourg, 6.05.1963). European Treaty Series No 43. On the website http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/043.htm (5.03.2009).

Other legal acts or official documents List the enacting body (in Estonian), the full title of the legal act (in its original language, add translation in parentheses, if necessary), source reference. Instead of the enacting body, an official abbreviated name can also be listed. Before the name of the institution, list the location of the institution’s headquarters. For documents, list the year after the name of the institution.

Federal Republic of Germany. Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch. In the book Ministry of Justice (2001). German Civil Code BGB. Tallinn: Juura, Õigusteabe AS.

OECD (1981). Welfare State in Crisis. Paris: OECD.

Ministry of Internal Affairs (2003). Financing of civil society organisations from the state budget in 2001-2003. Overview compiled based on data collected from government institutions.

Court decision For a court decision, list the parties, the court and the official title of the decision with its number, the website address, and the date viewed.

Estonia vs Pea. Pärnu County Court 2.03.2009 decision nr 4-09-1996. On the website http://kola.just.ee/ (5.03.2009).

Consecutive court decisions If a case has several consecutive decisions, they should be listed after the parties as subsequent bullet points. In all other aspects, use the same formatting as for other court decisions. 29. Veeber vs Eesti: 29.1.Euroopa Inimõiguste kohtu (neljas sektsioon) 21.01.2003 otsus nr 45771/99. Kokkuvõte võrgulehel http://www.coe.ee/?op=body&id=177 (25.10.2004). 29.2.Euroopa Inimõiguste kohtu (kolmas sektsioon) 7.11.2002 otsus nr 37571/97. Kokkuvõte võrgulehel http://www.coe.ee/?op=body&id=170 (25.10.2004). 29.3.Riigikohtu kriminaalkolleegiumi 8.04.1998 otsus nr 3-1-1-50-98. Võrgulehel http://www.nc.ee/rkis/lahendid/tekst/1-1-50-98.html (25.10.2004). 29.4.Riigikohtu üldkogu 6.01.2004 otsus nr 3-1-3-13-03. Võrgulehel http://www.nc.ee/rkis/lahendid/tekst/1-3-13-03.html (25.10.2004).

For special cases in listing references that are not mentioned in this guide, as well as for additional information about the APA referencing style, see: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

ANNEX 2

BACHELOR’S THESIS GRADING CRITERIA

GRADING CRITERIA FOR A BACHELOR’S THESIS (RESEARCH PAPER)

F – the work is plagiarism and/or is not related to the curriculum. The relatedness to the curriculum is a general requirement that is not separately mentioned in the grading criteria.

A B C D E

Definition of The problem is The problem is The actuality The actuality and The problem and the problem actual, reasoned and actual and and significance of the research questions significant for the significant. The significance of problem have not are unfocused and been provided purposes of the problem and the problem is only connected convincingly. The specific field, research questions worded. The problem and with the topic of develops earlier are logically problem and research questions the research paper works or offers a connected and research are interlinked on a to a small extent. practical solution. correspond to the question are general level but The problem and purpose of the clear and well there are some research questions research paper very connected. questions. have been clearly well. worded, specifically delimited and correspond to the purpose of the research paper in an excellent manner.

Theoretical Relevant academic Relevant academic Relevant Relevant academic The theory part is part literature has been literature has been academic literature has been based on a limited used, which covers used. The literature has used, which mostly number of important sources perspectives that are been used and covers theoretical academic sources from the position of significant and the the work and creates relevant for the perspectives considerations that and covers the connections work are covered. that are are relevant from theoretical between different The author has significant and the perspective of positions relevant authors and critically analysed relevant for the the work. The from the approaches. The and synthesised the work are author has critically perspective of the author has sources related to covered. The analysed the theory work in the least synthesised the the problem of the author has related to the amount that is important sources of work. The critically the field. The connection between analysed and problem of the necessary. The connection between theory, empirics and synthesised the work to a small theory part of the the problem, theory research questions is sources related extent and the work work is declarative. and empirics is clear clear and the student to the problem contains few Theory, empiricism and theory has been has been able to of the work to thematic transitions and research systematically apply theoretical a small extent created by the questions are applied in the knowledge in the and the work author. The interlinked in empirical analysis. empirical analysis. contains The work offers a thematic connection general terms. The new contribution to transitional between the connection the current texts created problem, theory between theory and knowledge in a by the author. and empirics can empirical analysis theoretical and The be identified, the 22

empirical sense. connection student has tried to is weak. Even if this between the apply theoretical contribution is problem, knowledge in modest, the student theory and empirical analysis can highlight and empirics is justify it in the understandable later but making work. , theoretical the connections is knowledge has sometimes been applied in insufficient. empirical analysis but few connections have been created. Empirical The method for The method for The method The method for The suitability of part1 collecting empirical collecting empirical for collecting collecting the method for data is suitable for data is suitable for empirical data empirical data is collecting responding to the generally suitable empirical data for responding to the is suitable for research questions for responding to responding to the and the choice of research questions responding to the research research questions method is well and the choice of the research questions and and the reasoning reasoned based on method is reasoned questions and solving the for this choice are the sources and the and the area of solving the research problem. questionable. The area of research research delimited. research The reasoning for selected research delimited. The data The data collection problem, but the choice of method is collection and method is not described in a very and analysis the reasoning analysis methods sufficient. The general manner, have been applied methods have been for the choice author has a errors have been correctly in all applied correctly in of method is command of the made in its stages of the work. all stages of the not sufficient. chosen data application. The All key definitions work. The majority The author has collection methods empirical data of data collection of data collection a generally with some presented in the and analysis have and analysis key good problems. All work is not all been defined presented empirical appropriate i.e. are definitions have command of pursuant to sources. data is significant not sufficiently The author been defined the used for the work and is connected to the understands and pursuant to sources. method, even in some way research questions. describes their role The sample or data though there related to the The presentation of as an investigator. set is suitable for may be smaller research question. results, description The sample or data responding to the questionable At the same time of the sample, set is suitable for there is data, the procedure for research questions. matters. The responding to analysis of which is carrying out the research questions. The author majority of inadequate. The study is inadequate. Presentation of the understands and has data collection amount and quality results is clear and mentioned its role as and analysis of empirical data comprehensive and an investigator. key definitions may not be follows best Presentation of the have been sufficient, but still practices of the results is clear and defined enables to respond method. The to the research comprehensive. The pursuant to sample, procedure questions to a for carrying out the sample, procedure sources. The certain extent. The study and data for carrying out the amount and presentation of analysis has been study and data quality of results is uneven. thoroughly analysis has been empirical data The description of described. thoroughly is sufficient the sample, described. and enables to procedure for carrying out the respond to study and data research analysis is 23

questions. The sometimes results have inadequate. been presented in a comprehensive manner. The sample, procedure for carrying out the study and data analysis has been sufficiently described.

Conclusions All research All research All research All research The main research and questions have questions have questions have questions have question has recommendat received a thorough received an argued received a received a received a ions and argued response. The clear response. response, but with response, even response. The conclusions that are conclusions of the The a different level of though the related to empirics work are connected conclusions argumentation. The conclusions arising and the theoretical with empirics and discuss the reasoning for from it are general part are clear and the theoretical part. results, but the reaching the results and presented in an The results have discussion is can be identified. empirically/analyti analytically clear been discussed superficial and The conclusions cally poorly manner. The analytically, analytically are general and reasoned. The conclusions have novel approaches or opening various mediocre. The empirically/analyti conclusions arise connections, which problems and conclusions cally poorly from prior analysis, have been set in a placing the results in have been reasoned. but are presented in broader a broader placed in a Discussing the a simplified theoretical/social theoretical/social broader conclusions and manner and a context. context. context, but placing them in a mechanical Recommendations Recommendations the discussion broader context is summary has been and further research opportunities and and further research in analytically scarce and made, which the research opportunities have weak. Single analytically weak. merely states the limitation of the been highlighted in recommendati Single results. There are chosen approach the work. ons or further recommendations no have been clearly research or references to recommendations highlighted in the opportunities further research and further work. have been opportunities are research highlighted in highlighted in the opportunities in the the work. work. work.

Formatting The formatting of The formatting of The formatting The work The work the work the work of the work corresponds to the corresponds to the corresponds to the corresponds to the largely formatting formatting requirements. The requirements. The requirements in corresponds to requirements in text is prepared in text is prepared in part. Regardless of an academic style, an academic style, the part. There are referencing errors linguistically and linguistically and requirements. errors in the sources can still grammatically grammatically There are no referencing that are be identified. The correct in every correct. There are a fundamental not fundamental.* ability to follow the way. References are few typing errors. errors in author’s thought is correct. References are referencing. There is difficult, there may 24

correct. There are journalistic or be some linguistic some errors in colloquial use of errors. There may the formatting language and errors be several formatting ** and of reference of orthography also some entries. The and/or typing in the fundamental errors work is use of language. in referencing, but generally in no plagiarism. academic Academic language language, even is prevalent: there though there is journalese and colloquial use of may be some language in several irregularities parts of the work. and/or typing There are several errors in the orthography and/or orthography. typing errors, which still do not preclude understanding the text. Defence Presentation that is Performance of the Presentation There are some There are formatted and set presentation that has a clear inaccuracies in the contradictions, out in an exemplary prepared in a correct structure, performance of the errors and manner and manner. Competent which has presentation. The inaccuracies in the presented within the presentation of the some defence speech is performance of the time limit. defence speech. inaccuracies. competent, but presentation. The Outstanding defence When responding to Competent there are also faults defence speech is speech (i.e. creating questions the defence in the structure and sometimes unclear. an interest for the student can reason speech. manner of No command of topic and content of and argument the Responses to performance of the the material or the work). Excellent responses. questions are speech. There are disregarding the command of the argumented in difficulties with time. The theoretical material part. reasoning their responses to and overview of the positions. questions are not results of the work. argued and/or are Very good somewhat unclear. arguments in the presentation of the author’s own opinion and ability to express oneself. Coherence of the introduction and summary. Responding to questions is precise and exhaustive. *Fundamental error in referencing: there source is not referenced; using the source is unnecessary from the position of the work or there are discrepancies between references in the text and the literature used; parts of reference entries are presented in an order that is wrong and confusing; the source cannot be identified.

**Formatting error in referencing: insufficient and irregular following of the reference systems established with the rules of the thesis; formatting inaccuracies in reference entries and textual references.

______

1. In the field of law the empirical part is not mandatory, therefore, these criteria do not apply to works without an empirical part. 25

LISA 3

MASTER’S THESIS GRADING CRITERIA

F – the work is plagiarism and/or is not related to the curriculum.

A B C D E

Definition of In approaching the The research The author has proven The problem is The problem is the problem problem, the author questions reflect the the actuality of the connected to the field, connected to the has considered the set problem in a problem. however, the actuality field, however, the opinions of other multifaceted manner. of the question has been author has not authors and earlier In approaching the The research questions proven by the author to proven its literature from the problem, the author reflect the multifaceted a lacking extent. actuality. The field. The author has has considered the nature of the research author has presented a discussion opinions of other problem as well as the The research problem is supported the that approaches the authors and earlier relations between the banal and superficial. problem with the problem from a novel literature from the facets. opinions of other angle. field and the approach The research problem authors, however, is supported by The author supports the and questions are there is no The research problem discussion. problem with the interlinked. The author discussion. The and questions are opinions of other has supported the set problem is clearly worded and The author manages authors and earlier problem with the supported by reflect the set problem to position and justify literature from the field, opinions of other earlier literature in in a multifaceted their approach in the however, the discussion authors and earlier the field, however, manner, whereas the context of the field’s is lacking. The author literature from the field, the problem is not author’s contribution research tradition and manages to determine however, there is no novel. to a more thorough choose a their approach in the discussion. The author The research elaboration is evident. methodological context of the research can determine their problem and paradigm. tradition in the field and approach in the context questions are The author manages choose a of the research tradition interlinked to a to position and justify methodological in the field and names a small extent. The their approach in the paradigm. methodological research questions context of the field’s paradigm. are unfocused. research tradition and The author names choose a a methodological methodological paradigm. paradigm.

Theoretical The theoretical point The theoretical point The theoretical point of The thesis has a Literature related part of departure covers of departure covers departure covers theoretical point of to the topic has numerous approaches several approaches to approaches to the departure, which been used, but it to the research the research problem, research problem to a elaborates on the work’s leaves the problem, out of which pointing out the most sufficient extent, central terminology and theoretical frame an argumented choice important among pointing out the most gives the research of the work too has been made. The them. Literature important among them. questions a suitable narrow. The author demonstrates related to the topic has Literature related to the analytical frame, author has created

wide knowledge about been used. The author topic has been used. The covering the most a few links the disciplinary demonstrates author demonstrates important theoretical between different research problem, knowledge about the moderate knowledge approaches from the approaches and which is positioned in disciplinary research about the disciplinary point of view of the presented his or a wider discussion problem, as positioned research problem, as thesis. The author has her own context. in a wider disciplinary positioned in a wider created connections approaches, but context. disciplinary context. between various the argumentation The presentation of approaches and is lacking. The the theories is The presentation of The presentation of the presented his or her own connection analytical, critical of the theories is theories is analytical and opinions. Literature between the the sources, and analytical and critical the author also presents related to the topic has problem, the presents a synthesis. of the sources. his or her own opinions. been used. theory and empirics is at Theoretical Theoretical The theoretical The relation between times hard to knowledge has been knowledge has been framework is related to theory and empirics is understand. The implemented implemented the empirical part of the clearly discernable: the theoretical part is systematically and systematically in the work. The structure of theoretical knowledge separate from the creatively in the empirical analysis. the theoretical part is has been implemented rest of the empirical analysis. The division of the comprehensible, but in the empirical research parts and The division of the theoretical part into some aspects are not analysis, but its division into theoretical part into chapters and reflected; some of the inconsistently. The chapters and chapters and subchapters is (sub)chapters are structure of the subchapters has subchapters is well justified and logical. inexplicably long or theoretical part is been poorly justified and logical. The chapters and short and/or have titles comprehensible, but justified. Not all The chapters and subchapters of the that have not been some aspects are not of the terminology subchapters of the theoretical part are sufficiently clearly or reflected; some of the used as well as the theoretical part are connected to the suitably formulated. (sub)chapters are interrelations have connected to the research problem/ inexplicably long or not been research problem/ questions and have short and/or have titles explained. questions and have contentual titles. Most that have not been contentual titles. The of the terms used and sufficiently clearly or terms used and their their relations have suitably formulated. relations have been been explained. explained.

Empirical The data collection The data collection The data collection The data collection The data part1 method is suitable for method is suitable for method is suitable for method is suitable for collection method answering the answering the answering the research answering the research is suitable for research question and research question and question and solving the question and solving the answering the solving the research solving the research research problem. The research problem. The research question problem. The method problem. The method method of data data collection method and solving the of data collection and of data collection and collection and analysis and data set are research problem. analysis as well as the analysis as well as the as well as the data set generally justified, data set used has been data set used has been used has been using other authors for The used data convincingly justified, justified, with convincingly justified, support. allows giving with supporting supporting material with supporting material single, fragmented material from other from other authors, from other authors. The data collection and assessments to the authors, and including and including analysis process has research problem. discussion about other discussion about other The data collection and been described, but methodological methodological analysis process has insufficiently. There is an possibilities. The data possibilities. The data attempt at

collection and analysis collection and analysis been described. In case of qualitative describing the process has been process has been research, one analysis data collection clearly described. clearly described. In case of qualitative method has been used and analysis research, one method at and one data set at a low process. In case of qualitative In case of qualitative an advanced level or level of complication research, several data research, several data several analysis and there are no flaws in The analysis analysis methods have analysis methods have methods have been the implementation. method is simple. been used, incl. multi- been used, incl. multi- used, their joint usage dimensional analysis; dimensional analysis; has been argumented; The author understands The author each method’s the results of different there are a few mistakes and describes his or her understands and benefits and limits types of analyses have in implementing the role as a researcher and describes his or have been reflected; been presented in a method(s). analyses their role as an her role as a the results of different connected way; the influencer of the results. researcher. Not all types of analyses have empirical analysis and In case of qualitative The data set, the empirical data been presented in a presentation of results analysis: the data research procedures and presented in the connected way; the is thorough and offers collection and analysis data analysis description work is relevant empirical analysis and multi-faceted methods have been in the work is sufficient for the work, i.e. presentation of results knowledge about the chosen considering the for answering the main doesn’t relate is flawless and offers research opportunities research questions, and research questions. The enough to the innovative and multi- of the field. the choices have been presentation of results is research faceted knowledge explained in the work; generally correct and questions. The about the research In case of qualitative analysis is systematic, offers knowledge about presentation of opportunities of the research: the empirical the analysis process has the research results, the data analysis and result field; the data set and been described; the opportunities in the set, the research presentation offers results are interpreted, procedure and used data have novel information field. allowed for content about the research based on the research data analysis rich generalisations opportunities in the question; the author In case of qualitative description in the and give thorough field; the data set and understands and and mixed methods, the work is sufficient evaluations of the used data have describes his or her role student’s independent, for answering the different facets of the allowed for contentual as a researcher and high volume and quality main research generalisations and for research object or analyses their role as an work in collecting data questions. thorough evaluations influencer of the results. and/or independently phenomena. of the research object In case of or phenomenon. developing a research In case of qualitative The description of the instrument can qualitative and In case of qualitative analysis: the data data set, the research compensate for lacking mixed methods, analysis: the data collection and analysis procedures and data elements in the the student’s methods have been collection and analysis methods have been analysis is sufficient. empirical analysis or independent, high chosen considering The presentation of volume and the research questions, chosen considering theoretical part of the results is correct and quality work in and the choices have the research questions, work. been explained in the the choices have been offers novel information collecting data work; analysis is explained in the work; about the research and/or thorough and analysis is thorough opportunities in the independently and systematic, the systematic, the field. Theoretic developing a analysis process has analysis process has knowledge has been research been thoroughly been thoroughly repeatedly used in the instrument can described. The results described. The results are interpreted, their are interpreted, their empirical analysis. compensate for presentation is presentation is lacking elements logically structured logically structured in the empirical and follows the and follows the analysis or presentation style of presentation style of theoretical part of the chosen method. the chosen method. the work.

Conclusions Conclusions are Conclusions are The conclusions are The conclusions are a Results are based and related to the related to the discussive, reflect the result of the preceding on preceding recommenda empirical and empirical and multifaceted nature of analysis, but remain analysis. The tions theoretical part of the theoretical part of the the research problem relatively mechanical. research questions work. work. and relate the results to have been earlier research or The research questions answered, but All research questions All research questions theories. have been answered, but discussion is have been answered in have been answered in to a varying degree of minimal and a thoroughly a thoroughly All research questions thoroughness. The declarative. argumented manner. argumented manner. have been thoroughly discussion related the Recommendations answered. research questions to , work limitations The conclusions of the The conclusions are Recommendations and each other, but results and contributions work are novel and discussive and reflect future research aren’t positioned in a have been open up new research the author’s position opportunities and the wider context. presented opportunities. The in relation to earlier work’s limitations and Recommendations, minimally. conclusions are research and theories. contributions have been future research discussive, they The author’s sufficiently presented. opportunities, the contain the author’s contribution to the work’s limitations and evaluation of earlier elaboration and contributions have been research, their own solution of the presented, but to a small methodological choice problem has been extent. and the limitations of presented in a clear the work. and argumented manner. Recommendations, future research opportunities, work limitations and contributions have been clearly presented.

Formatting Formatting of the Formatting of the Formatting of the work Formatting of the work Formatting of the work is in line with work is in line with is mostly in line with is partially in line with work is partially requirements. The text requirements. requirements. requirements. in line with is in an academic requirements. style, linguistically The text is in an There are no mistakes in There are mistakes in and grammatically academic style, citation in principle*. citation that are not The sources used correct. linguistically and There are some mistakes principal*. The have been cited. grammatically correct. in the formatting of language used is The text is Citation is correct. There are some typing references. generally academic, comprehensible, errors. however, in parts there but there might be The work is mostly in might be journalese or some grammatical Citation is correct. academic language, but slang, as well as errors. there might be some grammatical errors grammatical errors and/or typing errors. There might be and/or typing errors. some formatting errors ** in citation and some principal errors, but no plagiarism. Academic

language is prevalent, but in several parts of the work there is journalese or colloquial language and/or officialese. There are several grammar mistakes and/or typing errors that, nonetheless, don’t obstruct comprehension of the text.

Defence An appropriate and An appropriate and The defence is The defence has been The defence has content rich content rich thoughtfully prepared. prepared, but does not been prepared, but presentation has been presentation has been The student gives a focus on the most is unfocused and prepared for the prepared for the good overview of his or important an/or exceeds doesn’t give a defence. The student defence. The student her work, but does not the set time limit. The clear overview of presents the most presents the most focus on the most presentation is a bit the work and the important parts of important parts of important and/or hesitant or at time is not results. The their work and keeps their work and keeps exceeds the set time in line with an academic presentation is to the time limit. The to the time limit. The limit. The presentation style. The student is hesitant. There is presentation is presentation is is a bit hesitant, but knowledgeable about some style that is interesting, interesting, suitably of an academic the topic, but can not suitable for the informative and in a informative and in a style. The student is competently answer academic context. suitable style for an suitable style for an sufficiently only questions directly The student is academic context. The academic context. knowledgeable on the related to the work. generally student has thorough The student has subject, but can only knowledgeable knowledge of the thorough knowledge competently answers about the topic, topic and can of the topic and can directly related to the but does not have competently answer competently answer work. an adequate questions that may questions belonging to answer to some even depart from the the field of the work. questions. limitations of the research.

*Fundamental error in referencing: there source is not referenced; using the source is unnecessary from the position of the work or there are discrepancies between references in the text and the literature used; parts of reference entries are presented in an order that is wrong and confusing; the source cannot be identified.

______

1. In the study areas of Law/Political Science and Governance/ International Relations and Future Studies, the empirical part is not mandatory, therefore, these criteria do not apply to works without an empirical part. 30

LISA 4

THESIS PROCEDURES AND DEFENCE

1. The thesis procedures include the following:

1) Confirmation of the topic and supervisor is done during the next to last semester of the nominal study period. According to the Tallinn University academic calendar, final thesis topics are confirmed in October, and the specific date is set by each academic unit. The student will submit the thesis topic and name of the supervisor for the head of the curriculum in the e-learning environment Moodle, in the “Lõputööde ettevalmistus” (final thesis preparation) subsection. An application containing the topic

and supervisor that has been approved by the head of the curriculum should be submitted in ÕIS (under “Muud avaldused” – other applications) by the date set by the academic unit. See sample application in Annex 4a.

The study counsellor-specialist will approve the list of thesis topics in collaboration with the head of the curriculum and then submit it to the director of the institute for approval. Approval for a topic and supervisor is valid for one academic year – after that the student has to renew the approval for the thesis topic and the supervisor.

2) In exceptional cases, students can choose a supervisor with the appropriate degree (MA, PhD) from another institute our university. A student has to have very convincing reasons for choosing an external supervisor (he or she has to prove that the specific competence required for supervision is not available among the academic staff of the institute). In that case, the thesis topic application submitted to the head of the curriculum should be supplemented by an addendum explaining the necessity for including an external supervisor. The head of the curriculum will decide whether choosing a supervisor from outside the SGLS is justified. In justified cases, the head of the curriculum will forward the application and added documentation (the supervisor’s CV and diploma copy) to the head of studies. As a rule, in addition to the external supervisor, a co-supervisor from the institute is included; 3) In general, co-supervision is accepted only for Master’s level theses. For Bachelor’s theses, the potential supervisors as well as the students have to have very convincing reasons for co-supervision. For approving the co-supervision, a student has to submit an application to the head of the curriculum, after receiving confirmation from both potential supervisors;

4) If a student wishes to change their thesis supervisor, an application has to be submitted to the study counsellor and specialist, who will forward it to the head of studies. Both the former and new supervisors have to agree to the change, and both have to confirm it by signing the application. A topic change is confirmed by the director. The topic and supervisor of the thesis can be changed at the latest three months before the thesis defence period listed in the academic calendar;

5) Graduation is confirmed one month before the final thesis deadline in the e-learning environment “Lõputööde ettevalmistus” (thesis preparation) subsection. The exact date for the thesis deadline is decided by the institute and students will be notified about it through their e-mail lists. Thesis submission deadlines should not be sooner than two weeks before the start of the defence period that is set in the academic calendar;

6) The final thesis should be submitted electronically by the end of the day on the date of the deadline in the institute’s e-learning environment Moodle, in the “Lõputööde ettevalmistus” (final thesis preparation) subsection of the curriculum. One paper copy of the Master’s thesis should be submitted at the latest by the next day. Bachelor’s theses do not have to be submitted on paper. The thesis has to be signed by the author as well as the supervisor, either digitally or on paper. Theses that have not been signed by the supervisor will not be allowed to the defence stage. The students should register their thesis defence in ÕIS, when they have gotten approval for it from their supervisor;

2. Procedures following the submission of the thesis and defending the thesis

1) Final theses are defended publicly in front of a defence committee that has been approved by order of the director. Thesis defence sessions are public both for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses;

2) The study counsellor-specialist registers the thesis and forwards it by e-mail to the reviewer for the review. The reviewer of the thesis is appointed by the head of the curriculum in cooperation with the study counsellor-specialist, and after consultation with the thesis supervisor, if necessary. The reviewer has to have at least a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification;

3) The date of the public defence will be announced by either the study counsellor-specialist or the head of the defence committee in the institute’s e-learning environment, under the subsection for the specific curriculum;

4) For defending the thesis, a written review is required that contains an evaluation of the thesis in line with the requirements set out in this guide. The thesis supervisor has to submit a written opinion to the defence committee only if they cannot participate at the defence themselves. The written review has to be submitted to the academic unit 3 (three) days before the defence at the latest. The student has the right to read the thesis review at least 1 (one) working day before the defence. The review will be sent to the teacher by the study counsellor-specialist via e-mail.

5) The thesis defence procedures are as follows: a) The chair of the proceedings, who usually is the head of the defence committee, will announce the beginning of the defence to all those present. b) The chair of the proceedings first gives word to the defending student to give an overview of the work. c) The student makes a presentation about the main results of the thesis. The maximum duration for a Bachelor’s thesis presentation should be 7 minutes and 12 minutes for a Master’s thesis presentation. The author will give a brief overview of the work focusing on the analysis, main results and conclusions. It is recommended to have a slideshow to accompany the presentation. When preparing the slideshow, keep in mind that the text should be sparse and in a large font (minimum 18pt). If possible, present figures, graphs, tables, schema, etc. d) When the student is finished, the chair of the procedures will give the floor to the reviewer and ask for their opinion of the thesis. e) The reviewer presents a summary of their opinion about the main aspects of the thesis, the level of the work performed and the results. If the reviewer is not present, the chair of the proceedings or a representative appointed by the reviewer will read out the written opinion of the reviewer and their questions. A discussion between the defendant and the reviewer follows (or the chair of the proceedings, if the reviewer is not present). The total duration of the reviewer’s presentation, the defendant’s answers to the questions and the discussion should be about 10 minutes. f) Then word will be given to the supervisor of the thesis for presenting their opinions. If the supervisor is not present, their written opinion will be read out loud by the chair. g) The chair of the defence proceedings will then give word to all those present for questions to the defending student. Discussion will follow between the student and those present. h) The student then has the opportunity for a final word and acknowledgements (for thanking the committee, the reviewer, the supervisor and others).

i) The chair of the proceedings will declare the public defence closed. The whole proceedings should last for a maximum 20 minutes for a Bachelor’s thesis and 30 minutes for a Master’s thesis. j) The defence committee will evaluate and grade the defended theses in a closed meeting on the same day. The decision of the defence committee will be announced by the chair to the student and all those present. If the defendant can’t be present, they will find out the grade within one day in ÕIS. k) The final grade of the thesis will be confirmed by the defence committee. In determining the grade, the committee will take into account the level of the written work, the evaluations of the reviewer and the supervisor, and the public defence of the thesis. The basis for grading the thesis is outlined in the grading criteria of this guide in Annexes 2 and 3, depending on whether it is a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis. l) Not appearing for a thesis defence without a convincing justification results in a failing grade (F). If a student cannot be present and has a convincing reason, a note of “not present” (MI – mitteilmunud) will be entered in the protocol. A convincing reason can be related to illness or accidents. If the student doesn’t produce a doctor’s note within three working days, the director of the institute will replace the note MI in the protocol with a negative result and confirm the change with their signature.

6) The student has the right to appeal the decision of the evaluating committee and the defence committee, according to the rules outlined in the Tallinn University Study Regulations.

7) All other aspects of thesis defence and procedures that have not been outlined above are regulated by the Tallinn University Study Regulations.

ANNEX 4a

ÕIS application application type: other applications to whom: School of Governance, Law and Society title: Bachelor’s thesis /Master’s thesis (choose one) topic and supervisor confirmation

Student:………………………………..

Student code: ………………………..... contents:

APPLICATION

Please confirm the following topic of my Bachelor’s thesis /Master’s thesis …………………………………………………………………………………………………... …………………………………………………………………...... ….…(in Estonian and English) and the supervisor (first and last name, e-mail address) ……………...... ……..………..…

I confirm that I have agreed on the topic and supervision with this supervisor. I acknowledge that the topic and supervisor will receive final confirmation by order of the SGLS director.

Respectfully,

……………………………………..…… Student’s name and date

ANNEX 5

TALLINN UNIVERSITY

School of Governance, Law and Society

Study area: Political Science and Governance/International Relations

First name Last name

TITLE

Type of work (Essay/Research paper/ Bachelor’s thesis /Master’s thesis)

Supervisor:

Vocation or academic degree First name Last name

(For course work: Course code and name;

Teacher)

Place of presentation/

Tallinn Year

ANNEX 6

GUIDE FOR THE REVIEWER

The reviewer should give the work an objective assessment, not just praise or criticism, whereas the assessment (both positive and negative) should be supported by examples from the work. The suggested format of the review is a systematic overview text.

The assessment should be based on the thesis writing guide of the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society, available here: http://www.tlu.ee/en/School-of-Governance-Law-and- Society/About-us/Documents. The guide contains a detailed overview of the requirements for both the format and content of the thesis. Special attention should be paid to the Master’s and Bachelor’s thesis grading criteria.

The following is a list of points that should be taken as a basis for writing a review. The review certainly doesn’t have to contain all the following points, but rather focus on the ones that are important for a specific work and worthy of special mention either in a positive or negative light. It is recommended for the review to still include at least some feedback in the larger thematic blocks listed below (setting the hypothesis, theoretical points of departure, methodology and empirical analysis, etc. The first responsibility of the reviewer in reading the work is to evaluate its general suitability for defence (block A).

A) The general suitability of the work for defence (if there are some basic requirements that the thesis does not follow, a failing grade should immediately be considered)

Has the thesis been compiled independently and have all used sources been cited (the answer ‘no’ means plagiarism and the reviewer should give explanations to prove the plagiarism)? Does the thesis meet the volume requirements of a Bachelor’s thesis (12 EAP Bachelor’s thesis content part should be 35-40 p.; 24 EAP Master’s thesis content part should be 60-70 p.)? If the thesis considerably exceeds the set requirements for volume (or does not meet them), then has an explanatory note by the supervisor been provided? Has the Bachelor’s thesis used at least 5 academic sources and the Master’s thesis 10 academic sources? Does the thesis formulate research questions/objectives and a discernable research problem? Does the thesis include distinguishable required structural elements: introduction, contents, conclusion? Does the thesis include one or several theoretic points of departure? Is the topic of the thesis related to political science?

B) Problem formulation

The delimitation and focus of the topic. The research problem, research questions and/or the development of a research objective. The relation between the research questions and the research problem. The logical relation between the research questions (or sub questions).

C) Theoretical points of departure 37

The appropriateness of the used sources and the sufficiency of developing the theoretical points of departure. In the theory part, the relevance of the presented theoretical perspectives considering the problem set by the thesis and the research questions. Command of terminology and theoretical concepts.

D) Methodology and empirical analysis

The suitability of the chosen data collection method for the research problem and for finding the answers to the research questions. Command of the chosen data collection method and the analysis method. The systemic and consistent nature of the empirical analysis. The relation between the results of the empirical analysis and the theoretical framework of the thesis.

E) Structure and general analytical competences

The general clarity and logical cohesiveness of the thoughts and discussion presented in the thesis, the logical nature of the general structure of the work. The mandatory structural elements (introduction, analysis, conclusion) and their correspondence with the requirements for proportions in the volume (the introduction and the summary should not form more than 20% of the thesis). The conclusions of the thesis correspond with the research problem and research questions outlined in the introduction. The conclusions of the thesis are set in a wider societal and/or theoretical context. The justification of the conclusions and whether they stem from the preceding analysis.

F) Formatting, citation and language level

The general correctness of the format. The correspondence of the format of the thesis to the Political Science and Governance study area thesis guide (the thesis contains: a title page, a title page reverse side, an abstract in the thesis language, a table of contents and a references page). The linguistic correctness of the thesis (grammar) and style (fluent usage and syntax). Academic language.

The correctness of citation and referencing. The usefulness of annexes (if there are annexes).

GRADE for the reviewed Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis (underline the correct one):

The reviewer’s name, title and signature (digital signature allowed):

Date:

ANNEX 7

THE SUPERVISOR’S ASSESSMENT

The supervisor will give the student’s thesis an assessment that is as objective as possible.

The guide contains a detailed overview of the requirements for both the format and content of the thesis. Special attention should be paid to the Master’s and Bachelor’s thesis grading criteria. The following is a list of points that should be taken as a basis for the supervisor in assessment. The assessment certainly doesn’t have to contain all the following points, but rather focus on the ones that are important for a specific work and worthy of praise or criticism.

A) The general suitability of the work for defence (if there are some basic requirements that the thesis does not follow, a failing grade should immediately be considered)

Has the thesis been compiled independently and have all used sources been cited (the answer ‘no’ means plagiarism and the reviewer should give explanations to prove the plagiarism)?

Does the thesis meet the volume requirements of a Bachelor’s thesis (12 EAP Bachelor’s thesis content part should be 35-40 p.; 24 EAP Master’s thesis content part should be 60-70 p.)? If the thesis considerably exceeds the set requirements for volume (or does not meet them), then has an explanatory note by the supervisor been provided?

Has the Bachelor’s thesis used at least 5 academic sources and the Master’s thesis 10 academic sources? Does the thesis formulate research questions/objectives and a discernable research problem? Does the thesis include distinguishable required structural elements: introduction, contents, conclusion? Does the thesis include one or several theoretic points of departure? Is the topic of the thesis related to political science?

B) Problem formulation

C) Theoretical points of departure

The appropriateness of the used sources and the sufficiency of developing the theoretical points of departure.

In the theory part, the relevance of the presented theoretical perspectives considering the problem set by the thesis and the research questions. Command of terminology and theoretical concepts.

D) Methodology and empirical analysis

E) Structure and general analytical competences

F) Formatting, citation and language level

GRADE for the supervised Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis (underline the correct one):

The supervisor’s name, title and signature (digital signature allowed):

Date:

ANNEX 8

Author’s declaration and non-exclusive licence sample

I______(date of birth: ______) (author’s name) 1. have prepared the Bachelor’s thesis/Master’s thesis independently. Research papers of other authors, important positions from literature and data originating elsewhere have been referenced. 2. I give Tallinn University free permission (a non-exclusive licence) to my work ______(thesis title) supervised by ______, (supervisor’s name) for storing and making available to the public in the repository of the Tallinn University Academic Library. 3. I am aware that the author also keeps the rights specified in clause 2. 4. I confirm that by granting a non-exclusive licence the intellectual property rights or rights pursuant to the Personal Data Protection Act of other persons are not breached. Author of the work: ______signature, date The work has been allowed for defence. Supervisor: (first and last name, research degree) ______signature, date

The defence will take place at a public meeting of the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society Bachelor’s theses / Master’s theses defence committee on ______201…. at ______in Tallinn, at the address ______in room ______.